Thunderstrike Shatters a Deadlock

Wang Hao stood at the safe edge of the battlefield, his hands clasped behind his back. However, his Imperial Qi-Watching Art was constantly scanning the monster's fate fluctuations and movement flaws.

"Sun Li! The third rib on its rear left! The flow of its malefic aura is sluggish there—it's an old wound! Strike there with all your might!" Wang Hao's cold voice pierced through the battlefield.

"This old servant obeys the decree!"

Sun Li's eyes were bloodshot. His dantian, which had been on the verge of drying up, squeezed out a terrifying amount of astral qi once more after consuming pills. His figure swept through the air like a goshawk, dodging the monster's frontal swipe and arriving with extreme precision at the spot Wang Hao had pointed out.

"Great Compassion Astral Fist: Mountain Cleaver!"

Boom!

Sun Li's withered fist, wrapped in a dazzling white astral qi, viciously smashed into the monster's rear left rib. With a loud crack, the already weak malefic aura defense there was instantly shattered. Several massive, pale bone spikes, mixed with foul-smelling green blood, sprayed out.

"Roar!!!" The monster let out an agonized howl, its massive body stumbling violently.

"Pei Jingzhe, its stance is unsteady! The tentacles three feet to its right are the nexus controlling its balance. Sever them!" Wang Hao's voice rang out again.

"Your subject obeys!"

The Commander of the Brocade Guards, Pei Jingzhe, drew his Embroidered Spring Blade. The blade's gleam transformed into a streak of light dozens of feet long, sweeping close to the ground. It flawlessly sliced through dozens of thick tentacles on the monster's right side.

Losing its support, the monster's colossal body crashed down, smashing a large expanse of the white bone terrace.

"Wei Zhongxian, Yu Huatian! Pierce the fleshy membrane covered in human faces on its chest! That is its final reservoir of yin energy!"

Under Wang Hao's command, the once fiercely terrifying Level Six Anomaly was now like a plucked chicken pressed against a chopping board.

The experts of the Great Zhou Dynasty grew more astounded and more fanatical the longer they fought.

They discovered that as long as they attacked according to His Majesty's instructions, every strike landed on the monster's most vulnerable and painful spots. What should have been a tragic and grueling battle of attrition had been forcefully orchestrated by His Majesty into a one-sided slaughter!

Could His Majesty be a deity descended to the mortal realm?! To think he could see through all the flaws of a Level Six Anomaly at a single glance!

A profound sense of awe and fanaticism, originating from the depths of their souls, grew wildly in everyone's hearts.

"Die for me!!!"

Finally, after half an incense stick of relentless bombardment, Sun Li found the ultimate opening. His entire body's astral qi manifested into a heaven-cleaving giant axe. Descending from the sky, he viciously hacked into the monster's already battered skull.

"Bang—!"

The monster's head exploded like a rotten watermelon. Its massive body convulsed violently a few times before turning into a sky full of black ash, dissipating completely into the air.

Only one item remained. After the black ash cleared, it fell to the ground with a clatter, emitting a faint, lustrous glow.

"This is..."

Sun Li quickly stepped forward, enveloped his hand in true qi, and picked the item up, presenting it respectfully to Wang Hao.

It was a severed arm.

A woman's forearm that looked as though it were carved from the finest mutton-fat white jade, crystal clear and translucent!

Not only did it lack the slightest foul stench, but it also exuded an exotic fragrance that refreshed the mind. However, through his Imperial Qi-Watching Art, Wang Hao could see that inside this jade-like arm lay an immensely terrifying and absolutely pure extreme yin power!

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" Sun Li said excitedly. "This is a high-grade anomaly material condensed after the death of a Level Six Anomaly! Such a treasure, whether used to commission a master blacksmith to forge a divine weapon or an alchemist to refine high-tier pills, is a priceless artifact that can only be encountered by luck!"

Wang Hao nodded in satisfaction. He picked up the jade-like arm. It felt cool and smooth to the touch—a genuinely good item.

"Tonight, all of you beloved subjects have rendered meritorious service in protecting the emperor. As for such spoils of war, I will naturally reward you according to your contributions." Wang Hao stored away the anomaly material, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

Sun Li, Pei Jingzhe, and the heavily injured Wei Zhongxian and Yu Huatian, who were being supported, all knelt on the ground and shouted, "Long live the Emperor!" The way they looked at Wang Hao had changed. Before, it was reverence for imperial authority; now, it was the adoration of loyal followers.

To remain unscathed in a Level Six Anomaly Domain, to single-handedly find the array core to break the deadlock, and to see through all the monster's weaknesses at a glance to command the group in slaying it.

Who would dare disobey such an emperor? Who would dare show disrespect?!

Right at this moment, the crisp, long-awaited notification chime finally rang out in Wang Hao's mind.

[Successfully survived and led the kill of a Level Six Anomaly, completing the life-and-death breakthrough!]

[Ding! Detected that the host has reached a check-in point!]

[Check-in reward obtained: Evolution of Imperial Qi-Watching Art—'Qi-Watching Destiny Plunder' (A portion of the destiny of defeated enemies will automatically bless yourself)!]

"Very good." The corners of Wang Hao's mouth curled into a satisfied smile.

"'Qi-Watching Destiny Plunder.' If a Child of Destiny is defeated enough times, it's not impossible to kill them. Moreover, their destiny will be stripped and transferred to me. Looking at it this way, a Child of Destiny is no longer a threat, but more like a walking treasure trove."

He turned his head and looked toward the distant crater in the ruins, which was already empty. On the floor tiles there, only a pool of dark red blood belonging to Ye Chen remained.

"Your Majesty, that rebel named Ye Chen escaped during the chaos. Your subject will immediately order a city-wide manhunt. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we will find him!" Pei Jingzhe said through gritted teeth. The Brocade Guards had suffered heavy casualties tonight, and a large part of the reason was due to this assassin.

"There is no need to rush."

Wang Hao sneered, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

Through his evolved Imperial Qi-Watching Art, he could see the golden dragon of destiny in the direction Ye Chen had fled. Although it was sluggish from the impact of the Level Six Anomaly's malefic aura, there was still a thick stream of purple qi stubbornly keeping it alive.

"A Child of Destiny has a very tough life. Tonight, he exhausted all his trump cards and suffered a fatal injury. Just let him run. Right now, he is nothing but a stray dog."

Wang Hao dusted off his torn dragon robe and turned to walk toward the Imperial Army's protective formation that had already arrived.

"Pass down my decree."

"First, Ye Chen colluded with the anomalies with the intent to commit regicide. He is truly an unforgivable traitor. Post his portrait across all thirty-six provinces and issue a nationwide arrest warrant. The reward shall be ten thousand gold and a title of an orthodox fifth-rank official!"

"Second, announce tonight's events to the world. Proclaim that I am blessed by the heavens, and personally led my subjects to slay a great and ominous Level Six Anomaly in the capital! The national fortune of the Great Zhou shall endure for ten thousand generations!"

Wang Hao thought to himself that status is self-made. As an emperor, the more glorious his image, the better.

To kill a man, one must also destroy his spirit.

Wang Hao not only wanted Ye Chen dead, but he also wanted to strip him of his righteous halo, completely transforming him from a protagonist delivering justice on behalf of heaven into an anomaly's running dog that everyone wanted to beat.

"Ye Chen, you might be the protagonist of this story, but I shall be the protagonist of this era."

"Prepare the carriage, return to the palace!"

Following a majestic command, the grand and mighty royal procession, illuminated by countless torches, escorted this new monarch as they slowly made their way toward the resplendent Forbidden City.